LABOUR'S promises to match higher spending with improved services has been exposed as a complete shambles. Michael Howard, Shadow Chancellor, recently revealed a survey showing that the Government has failed to hit 75 per cent of the Public Service Agreement targets set in 2000 and 40 per cent of those targets set in 1998. There agreements cover the NHS, schools, transport, the Armed Forces and the Courts.
These agreements were introduced by this Labour Government as a "guarantee" that the vast increase in spending on public services would be matched by improvements in performance and delivery. This has not happened and highlights that increased spending has not been tied to reform as Labour promised.
This Government continues to pour money into public services. They should be aware by now that money alone will not make these services better. What is needed is reform, and reform is what this Labour Government seems to be unable to provide.
Tony Blair declared at the time that investment and reform were the twin themes and it was the people's money and it must deliver better services. Well, we are still waiting, Tony!
Andrew Morgan
(Councillor
Hulton Park Ward)
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